The stock is already down roughly 44% this year after an even tougher 2013. Shares plunged 54% and the company was removed from the S&P 500 in November.

J.C. Penney has sought to bring back some of its old magic by rehiring its old CEO Mike Ullman last year. Ullman replaced Apple(AAPL) veteran Ron Johnson who left only after 17 months on the job after Johnson's strategy of abandoning promotional sales and building stores within stores confused customers.

Ullman has since tried to steer J.C. Penney back to its roots of coupons and promotions, but that hasn't placated Wall Street, which worries that it might be too little too late. There have been concerns about the company's cash position from time to time. But J.C. Penney has vigorously denied rumors that it was running into any problems with liquidity.